I don't understand why someone wouldn't want to learn English. Anytime I travel to another country that's the first thing I do. I can understand having a lesser aptitude for languages but over the course of time, I cannot imagine that someone wouldn't at least learn some English.

I agree. And if we keep making concessions for these dumb decisions, people will keep making them.

05-27-2010, 11:25 AM

ODH

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by quinn14

I agree. And if we keep making concessions for these dumb decisions, people will keep making them.

What concenssions are being made?
Everyone agrees that living in the US and not learning English is dumb and is going to limit what you can do and where you can go.

05-27-2010, 12:03 PM

ban basketball

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by quinn14

Without a doubt something like that could have happened back in the early 1900's. Do you honestly think that a german, mexican, or any other natural born American from another country could grow up from birth without having to learn English?

Yes, I do, in some cases. As I said, Germans did it for about the first 70 years that they were in America. However, it was easy for them to do it, as they lived in self sustaining communes and didn't really need to, nor desire to, associate with the "outside"

However, overall, I agree with what you say, and statistics sure bear that out as well. Since our inception, 97% of Americans have learned the English language. So, yes, we sure seem to understand that we need to speak English.

Now, here's the interesting rub in all of this: we are one of the only countries in the world that does not have a national, official language. Yet, no other country in the world has a higher language acquisition rate of its citizens than does the U.S., all without laws telling us that we need to learn the language, or laws that declare an official language.

This tells me, and others who spend way too much time studying this stuff, that immigrants sure seem to understand that to succeed in the U.S., they need to learn the language.

05-27-2010, 12:44 PM

Chance174

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by ban basketball

Yes, I do, in some cases. As I said, Germans did it for about the first 70 years that they were in America. However, it was easy for them to do it, as they lived in self sustaining communes and didn't really need to, nor desire to, associate with the "outside"

However, overall, I agree with what you say, and statistics sure bear that out as well. Since our inception, 97% of Americans have learned the English language. So, yes, we sure seem to understand that we need to speak English.

Now, here's the interesting rub in all of this: we are one of the only countries in the world that does not have a national, official language. Yet, no other country in the world has a higher language acquisition rate of its citizens than does the U.S., all without laws telling us that we need to learn the language, or laws that declare an official language.

This tells me, and others who spend way too much time studying this stuff, that immigrants sure seem to understand that to succeed in the U.S., they need to learn the language.

you have a great point....the majority of immigrants in this country want to learn english and try very hard to do so. i would still like to see us adopt english as an official language.

Most realize they have to learn the language but refuse to speak it. There are parts of Phoenix that unless you speak spanish or look hispanic you will not get anything. I was told by my buddy that lives in one of those areas is that the people living there learn english so they can understand what the "gringo" is doing but by speaking their own language they feel like they are in the process of "taking back" this land.

On the other hand one of my buddies who's parents came here from Mexico legally refuse to let Spanish be the only language spoken in their home. They want their kids to learn the language (spanish) but want it to be their second language.

On a side note i very impressed that people can speak more than one language and i am jealous of those who can. I wish i would have paid more attention when i was younger and learned another language .

05-27-2010, 01:23 PM

FloggingSully

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chance174

i would still like to see us adopt english as an official language.

If you got to write up a bill that made english our official language, what would change?

05-27-2010, 01:33 PM

Chance174

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by FloggingSully

If you got to write up a bill that made english our official language, what would change?

I never said anything would change just that i would still like to see it official. I would like our goverment recognize english as our official language because i think it is important for a country to have an official language. You will still have people out there that refuse to learn the language and not much would actually change in the day to day. It is just something I would like to see done.

05-27-2010, 01:58 PM

FloggingSully

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chance174

I never said anything would change just that i would still like to see it official. I would like our goverment recognize english as our official language because i think it is important for a country to have an official language.

If nothing would change, why is it important?

I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm just curious.

05-27-2010, 03:24 PM

Chance174

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by FloggingSully

If nothing would change, why is it important?

I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm just curious.

no I understand and i struggle to articulate my stance. I guess to me a national language helps define a growing nation. I know at first it would have been impossible to have a national language since we were a nation of immigrants from all over the world, but i believe we have matured enough as a nation to have our own official language.

I don't have a problem with other people wanting to learn and speak other languages, in fact i applaud those who know more than one language.

I am not sure if that satisfies your curiousity or develps more questions. Like i said i am having a hard time articulating my stance/feeling on this.b

05-27-2010, 06:41 PM

quinn14

Re: Rand Paul

Quote:

Originally Posted by ODH

What concenssions are being made?
Everyone agrees that living in the US and not learning English is dumb and is going to limit what you can do and where you can go.

Correct me if I'm wrong. But don't southern states like Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California have public street/road signs that are written in both english and spanish? That, imo, is a waste of tax payer dollars and perpetuates the notion that you don't need to speak our language.

Apparently there are schools in chinatowns and german villages throughout our country that are graduating high school seniors who can't speak english. Before this thread I wouldn't have believed it, but Ban and Sully have set me straight. This, too, is leading someone to believe that they don't need to know our language.

Those are a couple of the concessions. Since we all agree that it is dumb to not learn the language, I'm sure we can agree on these things, too. And I now tap out. This thread has ran its course for me and I think we are all saying the same thing at this point.